1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to downhole cutting tools and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, it relates to an expandable cutting tool that may be suspended via continuous tubing or the like for rapid cutting of borehole casing, drill pipe, tubing liner, etc.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There have been developed a number of different types of downhole rotary tools for scraping, cleaning and cutting tubular goods in a borehole. Tools of this general type must necessarily be of smaller diameter suitable for lowering through a relatively narrow diameter casing or tubing string to carry out cleaning and cutting operations. "Through tubing" clean-out tools as used for clean-out, cable cutting, tubing cutting and the like, have been developed and distributed by Kat Tool, Inc. of New Iberia, La.
The closest prior art may well be within the applicant's own prior development activity as characterized by U.S. Pat. No. 4,809,793, issued on Mar. 7, 1989, and a co-pending U.S. patent application which is scheduled to issue on Apr. 13, 1993 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,201,817.